Here for You
by stephfarrow94
Summary: After stumbling upon an abused Fran, Mukuro takes him in, their similar history too much for him to ignore. The boy who had been timid and shy at first soon turns into more of a handful than he had imagined. While trying to raise Fran, somewhere along the lines he realises he's fallen in love with the kid. When the unspeakable happens to Fran, can he help him? 6926 yaoi AU
1. Chapter 1

There were a lot of things Mukuro Rokudo was expecting as he traversed through a small town, but finding a tiny kid looking as if he was homeless was not one of them. His heterochromatic eyes blinked as they watched the child stumble past hordes of people, only to be pushed away or avoided like the plague. Teal hair hung down into the kid's face, framing the pale cheeks, and Mukuro just couldn't be sure if he were looking at a girl or a boy.

For once, the purple-haired boy was glad he wasn't accompanied by the two annoying idiots who insisted on following him everywhere; he was curious about the kid's state of living and he was sure the others would make things unnecessarily difficult.

Mukuro remained where he was standing, watching as the kid stumbled and fell. He felt a pang of annoyance rip through him when people ignored him, passing him by like he were a common pest.

_That's so wrong._ If there was one thing Mukuro wouldn't stand for, it was mistreatment of little kids – not after the pain he had been put through as a child.

Putting one foot in front of the other, the boy quickly made his way over to the fallen child, aware of the looks of disgust and horror others shot at him. He wouldn't acknowledge such petty – not when _they _were the ones who were disgusting, after all.

Mukuro could see ocean-green eyes looking up at him as he knelt beside the kid, reaching out with a slow hand. He caught the flinch he was rewarded with, the flashing of fear in the younger's eyes.

"Are you alright, little one?" Mukuro was calm as he spoke, pushing hair out of the smaller person's eyes. "Are you hurt?"

The kid blinked before they nodded, pointing to their knee. The child didn't speak, and Mukuro was pretty sure he knew why; if this kid had been through what he had...

Glancing down at the leg that was half-hidden beneath the tiny body, Mukuro could see the scrape that was steadily bleeding. Putting his hands on the smaller body, he helped the kid to their feet, letting them rest against his side.

"Do you have a home?" Mukuro's voice was as gentle as ever, his eyes warm as he smiled. He tilted his head as the younger nodded, trying to convey he needed more than an affirmation to help. "Where do you live?"

A tiny hand raised and pointed behind Mukuro. Wide teal eyes stared at the older boy with distrust, confusion shining bright. "..."

Mukuro sighed before he spoke again, picking the other up into a careful hold. "I'll need more than just a gesture, little one. Who do you live with?"

"..." the voice that responded was small, trembling. It was then the purple-haired boy realised he was doing with a male. "...M-my grandmother..."

Mukuro nodded as he got back to his feet, heading in the direction he had been pointed in. "You don't live with your parents?"

"..." This time, the response was in a whisper as a single tear slipped down a pale cheek. "...They didn't want me..."

Mukuro nodded again, knowing sometimes it was better to just not say anything. He understand how the boy must have felt, having no parents himself. "Little one, do you have a name?"

"...Fran..."

"Fran. Okay. Are we almost at your grandmother's house?"

"...Yes..."

The boy – Fran – was silent for the rest of the way, speaking up only to guide the older boy to his home. He kept his face hidden in the strong chest, feeling the accusing glares aimed at him like they were fire. He didn't see the way the other glared back at them almost as if he were daring them to say something.

By the time Fran found himself being led through the front garden to his home, he realised he didn't know the other's name. Lifting his head, the boy gathered all the strength he had to speak. "...W-what's your... name, mister...?"

"Mukuro Rokudo."

It was silent between them once again, broken only by the sound of Mukuro's knocking at the front door. Fran frowned as he heard his grandmother's worried voice, knowing he must have had her concerned for being late for dinner.

"Fran, dear, where have you been?" Looking up, teal eyes watched as the old lady reached out to take him. He was passed effortlessly between them and, once he was back in familiar arms, he wrapped his own around his grandmother's neck much like a frightened child. "You had me scared something had happened!"

Mukuro watched as Fran mumbled something back to the grey-haired woman before he spoke. "He fell over and scraped his knee. I didn't have anything to clean it up so you might want to look at it before it gets an infection."

The woman turned kind eyes to him as she replied and, in that instant, Mukuro became enlightened to the fact that he was dealing with a most-likely senile woman who probably wasn't fit to take care of a child – that would explain the rags Fran wore, the way his hair was unkempt and he looked as if he hadn't had a bath in a long while.

"Thank you very much dear," the woman said, her tone grateful as she stepped away from the doorway to allow the boy entrance. "I don't know what I would have done had you not brought him home. Please, join us for dinner."

Mukuro knew he probably should have turned the invitation down, but it was too appealing considering he hadn't had a decent meal in quite a while. "If that will be no problem for you."

"Of course not, dear. Please, come in!"

Mukuro stepped into the small house, looking around him. He was standing in the entrance hall, the walls bare. Further ahead lead to what he assumed would either be the living area or the kitchen. Following the woman, he found he was standing in the dining room if the small table pushed into the corner was anything to go by.

"Make yourself at home, young man." The woman smiled as she gestured to the small eating area. "I will just take Fran into the bathroom and look at his knee. Dinner won't be long."

Mukuro smiled back politely as he took a seat at the circular dining table, noticing there were only two seats; was it really as he assumed and there was no one else in their lives?

The purple-haired boy felt he hadn't waited too long before the old woman walked back into the dining room, her hand entwined with her grandson's. The scrape had been cleaned up but there was nothing protecting the wound, though Fran didn't seem too bothered as he smiled shyly at his rescuer.

"T-thank you... sir..." Fran's voice was barely audible as he slowly made his way towards the table, pulling the unoccupied chair beside Mukuro.

Mukuro was curious as to the boy's actions; at first the younger had been afraid of him, but now he was acting like they were friends – did Fran _have _friends? Or was he lonely enough to call someone who showed him kindness one?

Throughout dinner, Fran had been quiet, speaking only when addressed, leaving the two older people to converse. Fran's grandmother was a lovely woman but, as Mukuro had come to learn, she really _was _going senile, asking the same things over and over again, forgetting she had turned the stove-top kettle on and even forgetting to turn said stove off. She did love her grandchild, but Mukuro worried she wouldn't be able to take proper care of the boy.

Mukuro wanted to ask if he could take the boy off her hands but he didn't want to pull them apart if they were all the other had. However, he found he didn't have to ask as Fran had made the decision himself.

Standing up, Mukuro excused himself from the table, his gentle smile crossing his face as he thanked the woman for her time. "That was a wonderful meal, ma'am. I should really be going now."

Rokudo turned around to head to the front door, but when a weight unexpectedly attached itself to his leg, he was surprised to find Fran clinging to him, a frown on his face as he looked anywhere but at the older boy.

"What is it, little one?" Mukuro gently pried the tiny arms from his person before he knelt to look the boy in the eyes.

Fran didn't speak; he only turned frightened teal eyes to look into heterochromatic ones as he raised his arms upwards, silently asking to be held. When Mukuro complied with his wishes, he snuggled in against the warm chest, the foreign feeling of being safe passing over him.

Running a hand through ocean-green hair, Mukuro smiled as he turned to address the boy's grandmother. "I am sorry to ask this of you, but may I take him with me?"

The old woman returned the smile sadly as she nodded, her eyes soft. "...I... I do my best for him, but I understand it is not enough... I love him very much, so please take good care of him, like how I am unable to."

"I'll look after him very well, ma'am," Mukuro reassured as he rubbed the boy's back. "Fran, do you have anything you want to bring with us?" After the boy shook his head, Rokudo bid his farewells to the woman, letting Fran hug her goodbye.

The purple-haired boy understood it would be a difficult thing to raise a child, but having seen the way he was treated by the villagers, there was no way he could leave him behind – not when their history was so similar.


	2. Chapter 2

Fran had been very quiet as his new friend carried him away from his home. He stayed still in the older boy's arms, shifting every now and then to find a more comfortable position, but he was happy with the warmth – he had never been carried like this by anyone but his grandmother. It made him feel safe to be in such a gentle hold, so unlike what he was used to.

While Fran's grandmother had done her best to raise and take care of him, there was only so much she could do regarding the villagers' treatment of him. She had tried to speak up and defend the boy but, as an old woman, she couldn't do anything else.

The teal-haired child wasn't sure how long Mukuro had been walking for or where he was going, but it didn't take much longer for the sun to have disappeared completely, replaced by the moon. The forest they were travelling through was cold and dark, and the strange noises that seemed to echo from every direction made Fran whimper and curl closer to his rescuer.

"It's alright, little one," Mukuro soothed as he continued walking. "I know my way through the woods. Once we get out of here we'll be at my home."

Fran nodded, still keeping silent. He wasn't sure why, but no one seemed to like it when he spoke. Was it the things he said? The way he sounded? What had he done to be treated so badly?

The boy perked up when he wondered if Mukuro could help him find the answers to his questions. Lifting his head, his voice trembled as he whispered, almost too afraid but wanting to trust in the purple-haired teen. "...Umm... Mister P-pineapple...?"

Feeling a vein on his forehead throb, Mukuro struggled to keep his temper down, knowing the boy had probably forgotten his name and was trying to acknowledge him by another factor – namely the way his hair stuck up at the back of his head.

Taking a deep breath before he spoke, Mukuro replied. "It's _Mukuro, _Fran. Please do not call me such things."

"I-I'm sorry... Erm, Mister Mukuro...?"

Closing his eyes in annoyance lest he snap at the fragile kid, Rokudo sighed. "Just call me _Master, _okay?"

Fran nodded. "...M-master...?"

"Yes, little one?"

"...Why do you think no one likes me?" The sadness in Fran's voice tugged at Mukuro's hardened heart; this was no way for a child to speak.

Answering the child's question with his own, Mukuro delved into Fran's history. "How old are you?"

"...S-seven..."

"Well, child, I am fifteen. How long have you lived with your grandmother?"

"...Always..."

"Maybe you didn't do anything wrong, little one," Mukuro explained, his pace never faltering. "Perhaps they just aren't worth your time. It's not worth dwelling on."

"...W-will I... be happy with you, Master...?"

The purple-haired teen hummed as he thought about it. "...I don't see why not. I live with some friends but they won't hurt you."

Fran tensed at the mention of others; had leaving Grandmother really been such a good idea? It was true he loved her but, at the same time, he just wasn't happy where he was. He had always wanted to get out of that stupid town and leave everything behind – but was this the fresh start he had been wanting?

"...F-friends...?"

"Yes. Their names are Ken, Chikusa and Chrome. You'll like Chrome, little one."

"...Okay..."

"Now get some sleep, Fran. We have a big day ahead of us."

"R-really?"

"Yes. We need to pack."

Fran tilted his head at this statement; pack for what? What was going to happen? "...Are you... moving...?"

"Kufufu..." Mukuro laughed as he nodded. "Sort of. We're moving to Japan for school. Now no more questions. Sleep."

Fran wanted to ask more about his friend, but he was awfully tired. Yawning softly, Fran snuggled against the boy's chest once more before he closed his eyes, falling asleep within seconds.

Mukuro ran a hand through the boy's teal hair before he smiled. If he was right, this child was already starting to warm up to him. Maybe things would be easier than he had anticipated.

_**~~The next morning~~**_

When Fran awoke, he was curled up on a green couch with a blanket over his frail body. He reached up and rubbed his eyes before he pushed himself into a sitting position, looking around with bleary eyes.

The boy could see he was in a living room of sorts, the couch he was laying on against a wall. There was a coffee table in front of him with a few magazines on it and a TV adjacent to him. There was a window to his right that showed an empty field governed by a grey sky, and to his left was a door that seemed to lead to a hall.

Whimpering softly, Fran shivered as he pulled the blanket tighter around his body; he wasn't used to sleeping by himself – the nightmares that plagued him at night always lead to him seeking refuge with his grandmother.

But, as the boy recalled, he _hadn't _had nightmares last night. In fact, he didn't seem to remember any uncomfortable dreams at all.

Unsure if he should get off the couch or not, Fran called out in shaking voice. "M-master...?"

To Fran's fright, it wasn't the pineapple-haired boy who had come to greet him – it was a girl who resembled Mukuro in the sense that she also had dark hair that was spiked at the back. She wore a black eyepatch on her right eye and had a shy smile on her face.

"U-umm..." the girl stuttered as she approached Fran, her hands fumbling together in nervousness, "M-mukuro asked for me to c-check on you..."

Fran bit his lip as he looked down at his lap, not knowing what to say; he felt comfortable enough with Mukuro, but he didn't know if this girl could be trusted or not – she hadn't done anything like taking him home to prove she was a nice person.

Kneeling by the couch, the girl's smile seemed to come a bit more naturally as her voice strengthened. "...M-my name is Chrome... I'm a good friend of Mukuro's. Would you like some breakfast?"

Fran _was _hungry, but should he say anything? Should he trust her? Where was Mukuro…?

"…M…" Fran whimpered as his eyes started to tear up; after so long of being unable to trust people, it had really taken its toll on his mental health. "…Master…"

Chrome bit her lip before she reached out, putting her hand on Fran's shoulder. She glanced behind her at the way she had come from, wondering what to do – Mukuro was busy, but would he make time for the boy he had taken in?

"I'll find Mukuro for you," Chrome whispered before she stood up and left.

Fran's lip quivered as he rubbed his itching eyes, almost afraid to think about what was going on; what if he had made a mistake in leaving Grandmother and Mukuro had abandoned him just like his parents had…?

The thought that he was alone brought a fresh wave of tears down the boy's pale cheeks. He curled up on the couch, pulling the blanket over him, as he struggled to contain his emotions. He was in an unfamiliar place with strangers, and it was frightening him to no end – he wanted Mukuro, the one he knew.

When the blanket was pulled from Fran's body and a large hand rested on the small of his back, Fran turned tear-filled eyes to look up into Mukuro's heterochromatic ones.

"What's wrong, little one?"" Mukuro placed his hands on Fran's tiny waist as he pulled the boy into a sitting position. "Are you okay?"

Fran shook his head before he reached up and wrapped his arms around the teenager's neck, burying his face into a strong chest. "…M-master…"

Mukuro understood what was happening; Fran was very anxious about being away from everything he knew. Wrapping an arm around the kid's shoulders, he smiled gently. "Would you like to help me finish packing, little one? Chrome will make you some breakfast and bring it into you."

Fran smiled as he nodded, relieved beyond belief he could stay by Mukuro's side. He giggled softly as he was lifted into the air and sat on a set of sturdy shoulders. He buried his tiny fingers into purple locks to secure himself, his eyes shining bright as he was carried down the hallway of the house.

Mukuro really was a nice person, wasn't he?

_**~~Later that afternoon~~**_

Fran had had fun helping pack things into boxes, and the food Chrome had given to him throughout the day had been even tastier.

The teal-haired boy was currently sitting on Mukuro's bed, his legs swinging back and forth off the edge as he watched the small TV sitting in the corner of the room. Mukuro was beside him, listening to an iPod as he read a book.

When the curiosity got the better of him, Fran crawled further onto the bed before he tugged at the dark shirt the older wore. Mukuro lifted his headphones up so he could hear what the boy wanted, his smile never faltering.

"…W-when… are we… going to Japan…?" Fran asked, his voice quiet and stuttering.

"In a few days, little one." Mukuro patted the teal hair before him affectionately. "Watch your cartoons, okay?"

Fran smiled before he nodded, returning to his position on the edge of the bed. He was enjoying the cartoons that were playing, his grandmother never having had a TV in her home.

Slowly but surely, Fran could feel himself settling in with Mukuro, and he was learning to trust the pineapple haired boy and his friends.

Fran was glad he had decided to go with the teenager after all.


	3. Chapter 3

When Fran took his first steps into a Japanese airport, the first thing he said was, "Wow, look at all the squinty-eyed fairies!" This had earned quite a few glares, some harsh words and apologies from Chrome and Mukuro.

The trip in a taxi to the hotel they would be staying at for a few days was less eventful but, even so, with Fran's developing personality, it was still frustrating trying to keep the kid occupied after hours of boredom.

If Mukuro had ever wanted to kill a child out of annoyance, it was certainly back in the plane when he was trying to keep Fran from being loud and running down the aisle.

"Hey, Master Pineapple?"

Mukuro bit his lip before he whacked Fran across the head, not hard enough to cause any damage but to let the younger know such names weren't tolerated.

"What do you want, Fran?" Mukuro was stressed. It wasn't just because of the boy he had taken in, but because the stress of leaving his homeland of Italy was stressful for him. If he could have had his way, he never would have left the country, but things never seemed to work out in his favour.

Fran puffed his cheeks up as he pointed out of the window at a couple walking their dog. "Can I get a dog?"

Before Mukuro could snap at the boy, Chrome took over, her two friends sitting in the back seat with them. Fran sat on the girl's lap while Mukuro rode in the passenger's seat.

"Fran, I'm sorry, b-but you can't have a dog," Chrome said gently. "We just can't afford a pet…"

The blond who sat in the back with them laughed, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "You'd be more suited to a frog, if anything, brat."

"Leave him alone, Ken…" the last male of the group said, his eyes hidden behind glasses.

"Shut up, four-eyed Kappa," the blond – Ken, Fran knew him as – growled.

Before the other could retort, Mukuro raised a hand, turning to glare at them. "Both of you need to be quiet. I'm not in the mood."

Fran sighed before he nestled against Chrome. In truth, he really liked the people he stayed with, but Mukuro was scary when he was angry.

"Are you tired?" Chrome asked, wrapping her arms tighter around the boy. Fran nodded before he yawned. "Just sleep. We'll be there soon."

Fran nodded again as his eyes slipped closed. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt as tired as he did right now, but Chrome had told him earlier it was just because of being on the plane.

The last thing Fran thought about before he fell asleep was whether or not he could convince Mukuro into letting him get a dog.

_**~~Later that day~~**_

"Are we going to live here forever?" Fran asked as he looked around the hotel room they have arrived at.

Mukuro, who seemed to be in a better mood now that he was off the plane, shook his head. "We'll have our own place soon. It's just until everything is sorted out."

Fran sat down on the black couch resting against the wall. He bounced happily as he tested it out. "But why did you leave Italy, Master?"

The smile Mukuro was accustomed to wearing faltered for a split second as he thought about this question. If he were to be honest, it wasn't that he wished for this, but with the way his family had been running experiments…

"It's nothing to be concerned about, little one." Mukuro joined the boy on the couch while Chrome and the two boys sorted through their suitcases. "Was just better for us to do schooling over here."

Fran nodded before he lifted his legs, his knees resting against his chest as he hugged them. "Am I going to go to school here, too?"

"It would be best for you to do so, yes. Have you been to school before?"

Fran shook his head, his eyes downcast. "…No one would… teach me…"

"Oh? Why not, little one?"

"…You saw them… No one liked me…"

Mukuro knew Fran was right, and it was a painful matter for him to speak about, his usually cheerful attitude dampening at the memories.

Standing up, Mukuro wiped imaginary dirt from his clothing before he moved to the door of the hotel. "Come. We're going to pick up everything from the school."

Fran scurried to his feet as he tried to keep up, his little legs too small to match Mukuro's long strides. He was careful to avoid bumping into people throughout the hotel corridors, but when they arrived outside he knew it was going to take a lot more work – the small town he had grown up in had never had as many people outside at once like this town did.

"Hey, Master?" Fran looked up at the purple-haired teen. "What town is this?"

"Namimori, little one. The school we're going to was rebuilt in this town after it was damaged by a fire in the next town over."

"What school is it?"

"Kokuyo."

Fran hummed to himself as he processed his information. "I see. I'll be there too?"

"No. You'll be in a different part of the school because you're younger." Mukuro didn't look at the boy, but he could feel the sense of dread in his stare. "Calm down. You'll still be close to me – you just won't be where I am."

"Oh…" Fran frowned at the thought but he didn't complain; he knew he had been enough of a bother on Mukuro as it was.

In silence they continued on their way until they came to a school. Before Mukuro had a chance to tell Fran that this was not the school they were after, the boy had taken off into the school excitedly, wondering where they were supposed to go from here.

"Fran, come back!" Mukuro called, but Fran either hadn't heard him or just ignored him in his happy state.

It was class hours so Mukuro hadn't expected anyone to be around – but he was proved wrong when a black-haired male who appeared to be a student came out of the building Fran had disappeared into, dragging said boy by the arm.

Mukuro narrowed his eyes as he closed the distance between them, not liking the scared look on Fran's face as the raven-haired male glared down at him with a threatening gaze.

"Does _this _belong to you?" the boy's voice was cold, void of emotion.

Mukuro reached out to take the boy as he nodded. "_He _does." The purple-haired teenager growled inwardly as Fran was shoved at him, his arms wrapping around the kid protectively. "He's not a toy for you to manhandle, you know?"

"He shouldn't be in a school he is not enrolled in. If he does this again I won't hesitate to bite him to death."

Mukuro could feel his temper rising. While he was usually a calm person, he had become protective of Fran, his emotions getting out of control when it came to the boy. "Who are you to make such threats against a boy?"

Mukuro watched as a silver tonfa was pulled from the black jacket that hung over boy's white uniform. His eyes narrowed further as he pulled Fran to stand behind him. He could feel the tiny hand that grasped at his shirt, and he knew the teal-haired child was scared – this was probably too much like his old life.

"If you're looking for a fight…" Mukuro's soft voice paused as the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, "…then you can fight me. I'll take responsibility for Fran's actions."

Another tonfa appeared out of nowhere, poised to strike at any second, but Mukuro was confident enough in his fighting ability to keep calm – he had been raised in abusive circumstances and one usually learnt to fight back soon enough in such situations.

Fran whimpered and knelt close to the ground, his eyes closed as if he was expecting to get hit. Mukuro couldn't afford to look away, so the best he could do was try and soothe him with his voice.

"It's alright, little one. We're just going to sort this out, okay? Go stand away from us and you'll be safe."

Fran was quick to run back into the school grounds as soon as the doors to the school opened and students started pouring out.

The boy could only watch as students crowded around the now-fighting Mukuro and the black-haired teenager, fright on their faces. He whimpered louder, drawing the attention of some of the students.

A brunet boy and his two friends approached him, the brunet and his black-haired companion looking concerned while the silver-haired boy just looked bored.

"Do you know who Hibari-san is fighting?" the brunet asked. He frowned when the little boy nodded, turning to look back at his friends. "Yamamoto, you should get Dino-san before this gets bad."

The black-haired boy left quickly, leaving Fran alone with the two. He turned back to Mukuro with tear-filled eyes, seeing both of the quarrelling boys on the ground, Mukuro on top of the raven, trying to hold the two tonfa down on the ground.

Warm arms wrapped around Fran, a gentle voice telling him not to look at the fight. Teal eyes looked up, finding the brunet holding him.

With a quivering voice, Fran whispered, "Will Master be okay…?"

"Master?" the brunet's brown eyes softened. "Is that what you call him?" When the boy nodded, he continued, "What's his name?"

"…M… Mukuro…"

"My name is Tsuna," the brunet explained. He gestured to the silver-haired boy standing behind him. "This is my friend, Gokudera-kun. Yamamoto is our other friend. He's gone to get one of the teachers. What's your name?"

"…F-fran…" Said boy raised his tiny hand to wipe at his overflowing tears – he had been so happy to get away from the town that had hated him so, but this was only reminding him of the pain he felt _because _of that stupid place.

"Fran, Dino-san is here now. He'll sort this out."

Fran looked up to see a blond-haired man parting the crowd of onlooking students. His hair was messy, hanging in his face, and he looked stressed.

The boy watched as the blond who seemed to be named Dino separated the two teenagers, holding the black-haired teenager tight against his body. He couldn't hear what was being said, but Mukuro seemed rather calm as he spoke. Was that a good thing or a bad thing…?

Fran remained in Tsuna's arms until Mukuro nodded at the blond and made his way over, his eyes soft as he surveyed the way Fran was pressing himself against the brunet teen. Once Mukuro was close enough, he pulled himself away from Tsuna and wrapped his arms around the purple-haired boy's waist, hugging him tight as he buried his face in the familiar chest.

"A-are you in trouble because of me…?" Fran was scared to ask this, and he couldn't even look up to see what kind of facial expression his friend wore.

"Kufufu…" Rokudo affectionately ran his hand through teal hair before he spoke again. "There was a misunderstanding between us but it's sorted out now."

Fran dared to look up, and he sniffed when he saw the cut just above Mukuro's eyebrow. He reached up and wiped at the blood, dismayed that the tall teenager had gotten hurt because of him.

"Kufufu…" Mukuro laughed again, letting the boy do what he wanted. Looking at Tsuna, he introduced himself. "I'm Mukuro. I see you've already met Fran. Thank you for taking care of him."

The brunet shivered at Mukuro's smile before stuttering, "T-that's okay…"

"We have to be going now, little one," Mukuro said as he tugged at the boy's hand that was still wrapped around his body. "We have places to be."

"Oh, o-okay." Fran looked up at Tsuna, smiling softly. "Bye, Tuna."

Yamamoto laughed at the kid's – probably – nickname for his friend while Tsuna just blushed and the silver-haired teen looked as if he were going to kill Fran.

"See ya, Fran!" Yamamoto called happily as Mukuro and Fran retreated.

As the two passed by Dino and the black-haired student, Fran shivered as the boy glared daggers at them.

"He's scary…" Fran mumbled to Mukuro, reaching up to hold the hem of his friend's shirt.

"His name is Hibari, I hear," the teenager said. "I don't like him."

"I like Tuna." Fran smiled up at Mukuro. "Do you think I could play with him some time?"

"We'll see." Mukuro didn't know why, but the thought of Fran liking someone _other _than himself annoyed him – he wanted to be the only one in Fran's life who he looked up to and loved.

Fran smiled wider. "I love you, Master."

Mukuro froze at those words, never having been told them before. When Fran wrapped his arms around his middle section again, he could only shudder; love? Was that what he felt for the boy he had taken in…?

The purple-haired teen shook his head before he replied, feeling awkward about this whole thing. "…Okay…"

Fran let go of Mukuro reluctantly when he was pried away, and he hummed with a smile on his face as he walked the rest of the way to the school with Mukuro.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay; I've had a bit of writer's block and I haven't been liking how these chapters have turned out. I was actually going over what had been written last time the document was open and I realised the reason I don't like these chapters is because I don't feel as if they're written to my usual standard. I think it was because they were written on the bus home from school when I was tired, so I may go back over them and edit a bit. I'll let you know if this does happen or not.**

**Also, on a related note, there's a poll on my profile relating to what fandom(s) I should focus on most. Please take it if there's a fandom you want me to update most. **

Mukuro and Chrome were quiet as they walked to Fran's school, hoping the younger was okay; their school finished later than Fran's did, and the teal-haired boy didn't seem to like the idea of school – when Chrome walked him to his morning class, he was awfully clingy, hiding behind her in shyness that was not usually that bad with the kid.

"Do you think Fran-kun's okay?" Chrome asked softly, her shy voice quivering slightly.

"I hope so," Mukuro replied. His heart sped up slightly as he worried about what could have gone wrong for his little Fran, and he couldn't help but wonder how he had dropped all of his barriers for this one kid seconds after meeting him – all those walls he had carefully erected to keep people out had been shattered just by seeing the kid's tears.

_I'm getting soft… _Mukuro sighed to himself, shaking his head. _What is it about him that makes me want to hold him close? I just want him to be happy. But why…?_

Mukuro couldn't come up with an answer to his question by the time he and Chrome begun walking towards the entrance of the school, and he wondered if he ever would.

It didn't take long before they noticed Fran sitting on top of one of the cement columns, talking to a blond kid who didn't seem to go to school if their lack of uniform meant anything.

Mukuro didn't know why, but his footsteps quickened as he noticed the way Fran's eyes were directed downwards, a sure sign the boy was uneasy. Worry filtered through his chest as he closed the distance between them; what if this blond hurt _his _Fran?

Wait. _His _Fran…? Since when was Fran _his? _

_Since I took the kid away from a grandmother who couldn't look after him. _Mukuro grit his teeth at the thought, the acknowledgement that Fran was far more than just some kid he had taken in clarifying in his mind. 

"Mukuro-sama?" Chrome matched her best friend's pace, staying slightly behind the older teenager as she always did. She was working hard to fit into this country already, learning to use honorifics even towards the ones she had come here with. "I-is something wrong…?"

The purple-haired male shook his head, not wanting to worry the girl. "I'm sure it's nothing…"

Though Chrome wasn't convinced, she didn't say anything about her companion's strange behaviour – she was smart enough to put two and two together as she noticed Fran's 'friend' reaching out to touch teal tair.

Fran, who had been sitting on the pillar hugging his knees to his chest as the blond touched his hair, looked up and smiled when he noticed Mukuro approaching.

Holding out his arms, the teal-haired boy begged silently to be picked up. He smiled wider as his wish was granted, snuggling into Mukuro's warm chest. There was something about the security Mukuro provided for him that made him melt into the teenager's embrace.

"Who is this?" Mukuro couldn't keep the possessive tone out of his voice, his arms clutching Fran tighter to him.

Fran didn't reply; his teal eyes just watched as Chrome leant down to pick his bag up from the ground where he had dropped it earlier.

The blond spoke for himself, a strange laugh coming from his mouth that made Mukuro want to protect Fran from him – _that _was an unnatural sound. "Ushishishi… Don't mind the prince; he was just talking to the cute little froggy."

Mukuro didn't reply as he spun around on the spot, walking away with Chrome behind them – he wasn't going to subject either of his precious people to this weirdo any longer.

Heterochromatic eyes narrowed as the blond shouted after them, "See you tomorrow, Froggy!"

_If he goes near Fran again, I'll… _Mukuro bit his lip to keep his anger under control – that kid was _not _right.

Chrome was silent, seeing the annoyance in Mukuro's stormy eyes; she could see that he was becoming much more attached to the little boy he had rescued, and it warmed her heart – the older teenager had always been withdrawn and quiet, never speaking a word to anyone until they had been taken away from _that _place.

"Stay away from him, little one," Mukuro muttered. "There's something about him I don't like."

_He seemed nice…_ Fran thought to himself as he wrapped his green school jacket tighter around his body. _I wonder why Master Pineapple doesn't like him? _

The little boy, deciding he was too tired to truly be bothered by this, closed his eyes. He rested his head on Mukuro's shoulder, his tiny hand gripping the mist-patterned shirt the older male wore.

Chrome smiled as she watched her friend's large hand run through short hair as if to help soothe Fran into sleep. She could still see Mukuro was bothered, so she kept quiet, letting the purple-haired teen process his thoughts.

_I'm still not exactly sure why I took this kid away from his home, _Mukuro thought to himself. _He was happy with his grandmother – maybe not with anyone else in that town, but I could tell he loved her. I wonder if I did the right thing or not? I don't know if I should take him back to his grandmother, if he'd be happier with her…_

_But why does it hurt thinking about giving him back? Have I really unravelled all of my layers for him – let him in to the point of no return? _

Mukuro looked down at Fran, smiling softly at Fran's sleeping face. His eyes were closed ever-so-lightly, his lips parted in a slight circle as his breathing came steadily. The teal hair that just barely hung down his face was parted, revealing the soft creamy white forehead that had all-too-often received soft kisses of affection from Chrome.

_I wonder if his grandmother is still alive? _Mukuro's smile slipped at the thought. _She seemed pretty old… _

_I wonder what it's like to lose someone you love? I wonder if Fran knows that feeling. I wonder how he felt when he was abandoned? What the circumstances around that were. Was he sad? Did he even _know _he had been abandoned? What had happened…? _

Making a note to ask Fran about his past one day, Mukuro changed his train of thought to that of Ken and Chikusa, wondering when they'd return from buying food.

"Mukuro-sama?" Chrome asked shyly, blushing as now-calm eyes turned to settle on her. "A-are you alright?"

Mukuro nodded, quite relaxed at the moment. "I am."

Chrome fumbled with her hands, diverting her gaze. _He seems happier now that we have Fran with us… It's good… Mukuro… needs friends… _


	5. Chapter 5

Fran hadn't expected the blond from yesterday – whom had introduced himself as Belphegor - to keep his word but, as he looked up from the patch of grass he was pulling out of the schoolyard ground, he noticed the same boy standing by the chain-link fence, a large smile on his face.

Curious, Fran stood up and moved to the taller male's side, unnoticed by the many other kids who had ignored him since his first minute in the school. He wasn't sure why the seemingly random male had taken an interest in him when the other kids who actually _did _go to this school didn't want to even look at him, but it made him happy; perhaps he could make friends with Belphegor like he had Mukuro?

_I wonder if he has any candy. _Fran licked his lips at the thought, smiling to himself at the possibility. _He gave me some yesterday; maybe he has more now._

Kneeling by the fence just a few seconds later, Fran looked up with intrigued eyes, watching as the older boy slipped his hand into his pocket, drawing out a handful of sweets.

"If you come out of the yard, the prince will give you this," Belphegor said, thrusting the candy closer as if to emphasise his point.

"I'm not allowed out of the yard, though. I'll get in trouble if anyone sees me." Teal eyes watched as the taller male lifted a broken piece of the fencing into the air, revealing a gap large enough for Fran's tiny body to crawl out of.

"Crawl out, Froggy. The prince won't tell anyone you left. Ushishishi…"

Fran did as he was told, really not considering what could happen by doing so; all he knew was he was going to get candy if he obeyed the blond's instructions. _I hope he really doesn't tell anyone or Mukuro will be mad at me..._

Obscured eyes watched hungrily as the tiny boy crawled beneath the fence, thinking of all the things he could do to the 'frog'. He could feel his groin twitching in interest, but he had to control it - it wouldn't do to ruin his plans before they even started.

When Fran was sitting before him, the blond handed over the candy as promised before standing up and pointing to the street behind them.

"Let's go over here, Froggy."

Fran didn't question why they were heading away from the school; he was too content with the lollipop he was now sucking on, teal eyes looking all around him as he walked.

_I bet he has no idea the danger he's in... _Belphegor bit back a laugh as he led Fran back towards his school, wondering how long he'd be able to keep the boy with him; as soon as he had seen the kid sitting on the cement column yesterday he knew he wanted the frog.

"How old are you, Froggy?" the older teenager questioned, drawing Fran's attention back onto him.

"Seven." Fran's attention drifted once more, watching as the cars passed by them quickly. "What about you?"

"Sixteen."

Fran blinked innocently up at the teenager, speaking the first thing to come to his mind. "You look too small to be sixteen, liar."

Belphegor bit his lip as he fought to keep his anger controlled; he had a short temper, and not only had the younger insulted his pride, he had also called him a liar.

Belphegor was many things, but he wasn't a liar. He'd have to make sure to go extra hard when he could finally put his plan into action.

"A bit of a smartass, aren't you?" Belphegor spat. "A peasant such as yourself should know better than to offend a prince. From now on, you shall call the prince Bel-senpai, uncute kohai."

Fran just continued speaking his thoughts, something he had grown accustomed to doing with Mukuro. "You're a fake prince, Bel-senpai. They aren't real."

"Little shit!" Bel yelled, raising a hand so that he could slap the boy as hard as he could. "You're lucky Squalo took my knives or the prince would have turned you into a cactus already!"

Out of instinct, Fran froze at the threat of being hit. His teal eyes widened as his body quivered, remembering the raw terror he always felt when the villagers from his old home used to attack him.

Bel lowered his hand, taking a deep breath in through his nose. _Calm, Bel… Don't hurt him just yet… Make him trust you first…_

With a sigh, the blond started walking again, calling over his shoulder for Fran to hurry up and follow him.

For the first time since meeting Bel, Fran doubted whether or not he should trust the teenager – but he was so desperate for love and affection, he trailed after the blond anyway.

_He didn't hit me, so I can trust him. _Fran nodded to himself at his reasoning, unaware of just how wrong he was.

_**~~Mukuro and Chrome~~**_

By the time Mukuro and Chrome got to Fran's school, the blue-haired male was finding himself becoming frustrated at the Namimori Middle students who seemed to always pop up with Fran out the front of the teal-haired boy's school.

Instead of the blond from yesterday, Mukuro was slightly grateful to find that a rather timid looking brunet was sitting on the grass with Fran by his side, two other teenagers with their backs towards Mukuro and Chrome.

As the two Kokuyo students got closer, they recognised the three teenagers as the ones who had been with Fran during his fight with Hibari.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mukuro slipped a smile onto his face as he and Chrome approached. _Thank god it's not that creepy brat… These ones I trust with Fran…_

"May I enquire as to why you're here with Fran?" Mukuro's voice was soft as it usually is, opening his arms for Fran to lean into.

The brunet Mukuro remembered as Tsuna spoke in a shaky voice as he started to explain things. "W-well… It's just… Uh, my school was on lunch when we noticed a classmate had Fran, s-so we brought him back here…"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow at this, while Chrome was the one to speak.

"F-fran was… not here…?"

The three Namimori Middle students nodded. "H-hibari-san was the one to find them together…"

"Who had him?" Rokudo questioned, picking the boy up in his arms now that Fran was resting against him.

"A psycho," the silver-haired male spat. Mukuro couldn't recall a name for this boy, but he could tell there was bad blood between him and whoever had Fran – the angry glint in his eyes and the bitter tone he spoke with told him enough.

"Did he hurt Fran…?" Chrome bit her lip, looking at the ground.

The black-haired boy who was sitting with them didn't seem to have anything to say about the situation, instead remaining quiet as he listened.

It was Tsuna who spoke again, his wavering. "W-well, no, but…"

"But?" Mukuro pressed.

The brunet scratched the back of his head as he tried to explain, "…I-it's just… B-bel isn't…"

The silver-haired male finished his friend's sentence. "Bel's a deluded psychopath. If Hibari didn't find them, anything could have happened."

The nagging suspicion that Bel was the blond from yesterday kept eating at Mukuro. _If that _was _Bel, I was right about him. _"Is Bel blond by any chance? Wears a tiara?"

"Yeah, that's him," Tsuna pointed out. "He's really…"

"Messed up." Once again, the brunet had his sentence completed for him.

"Did Bel do anything to you, little one?" Mukuro ran a large hand through teal hair as worry shot through him. _It doesn't matter where my feelings for Fran stand – if Bel hurt him in any way… _

Fran shook his head. "He gave me candy, though."

"F-fran, you…" Chrome twisted her hands as she spoke gently, "…y-you shouldn't accept anything from strangers…"

"Didn't I ask you to stay away from him?" Mukuro reprimanded carefully; as a teenager himself, he wasn't ready to play the entire roll of a parent – it was hard enough trying to take care of Fran as it was without having to act like an adult on top of it.

"I told him that, but he kept asking." Fran frowned. "Bel-senpai said we were going to go play together in the toilets, but Hibari-san said I had to go."

"I see." Heterochromatic eyes fixed on the Namimori Middle students. "Where do you three come into this?"

"We were going to our usual spot for lunch." Tsuna raised his hands in a defensive manner, his eyes darting in anxiety. "He found _us, _and when Hibari-san told us what happened, we said we'd bring him back here and tell you."

"Yeah, Bel's fucking crazy," the silver-haired teenager added. "Fran's lucky Hibari got there in time."

"I'll do a better job on teaching him to stay away from blond boys who wear tiaras." Mukuro nodded thankfully as he adjusted his hold on the boy. "Thank you for bringing him back; Chrome and I appreciate your kindness towards him. Join us for dinner one day."

"Sounds good." Tsuna smiled back as he stood up, his two friends following suit. "See you around, Fran."

Mukuro turned to Chrome, whispering to her while the boy's attention was elsewhere. "Do you get the feeling this 'Bel' person is going to keep coming back?"

Chrome nodded nervously. "Yes, Mukuro-sama…"

Looking down at the kid in his arms, Mukuro sighed to himself. "What are we going to do with him, Chrome?"

Chrome didn't reply; she nervously fumbled with her hands again as she dropped her gaze downwards, hoping that they could continue to take care of Fran without people adding to the burden.

_If anything happens to Fran… _Mukuro bit his lip as he started walking. _…Especially this _Bel…_ I'll kill him if he dare lay a _finger _on Fran. _


	6. Chapter 6

Despite having had a rather long talk with Mukuro and Chrome about the dangers of leaving school with someone he didn't know, Fran seemed unfazed, almost as if he didn't think anything bad could possibly happen – though, as Mukuro came to realise, he had sounded like a hypocrite for the fact that he had taken the boy away from his own within the first few hours of knowing him.

Mukuro sighed as he went about the small hotel room, trying to tidy up the mess Ken had made. Chrome had left the hotel with the other two males, going to buy ingredients for their dinner tonight, leaving Mukuro and Fran home together.

Fran was quiet as he watched cartoons on the hotel television, his teal eyes wide with interest as his lips curled into a small smile every now and then.

_I wonder what he's thinking about…_ Mukuro put Ken's dirty shirt down on the chair next to him as he approached Fran, trying to see what was on the TV. "What are you watching, little one?"

"Pokémon." Fran's eyes didn't drift from the TV once as he spoke to his carer.

"Pokémon?" Mukuro crinkled his nose, unfamiliar with the cartoon. "What's that?"

"Lots of animals," the teal-haired boy replied lazily.

Mukuro didn't reply to this; he instead sat down beside Fran, glancing curiously at what had caught the boy's attention; Fran was rather hyperactive and didn't sit still for much.

To the blue-haired teenager, this cartoon – or anime, as he remembered the Japanese called them – was rather irritating, though he could see how Fran liked it; there was a lot of different animal-like creatures, and the boy loved animals.

Fran climbed up onto Mukuro's lap, curling in against the older male. Mukuro placidly wrapped his arms around the frail body, holding him close.

_His hair smells so nice… _Mukuro could smell the scent of strawberries from the shampoo Fran had used in his bath last night, and it soothed his stress. _I should buy him body wash, too. Wait, what am I thinking? He's just a boy…_

Uncomfortable with his own thoughts, Mukuro fidgeted. The boy only clung to him tighter, not wanting to move off his beloved pineapple's lap.

"F-fran…" The blue-haired male sighed as he pushed gently against Fran's body, trying to get him to move. "…P-perhaps you should sit back over there…"

"Why?" Teal eyes turned upwards to look at the older boy, a hint of sadness in them. "Can't I sit here?"

"Sorry, Fran, but…" _…You're making me think thoughts I'm not comfortable with… _

The tiny boy frowned as he wriggled slightly against Mukuro's lap, rubbing against the teenager's crotch. He didn't understand when Rokudo let out a small gasp and pushed harder at him, thinking that he must have done something wrong.

"Did I do something wrong, Master…?" It was becoming less and less common to hear Fran's sad tone, but Mukuro hated how he had to hear it right now – wasn't it enough he was confused by his thoughts? He didn't need to feel as if Fran understood what was happening and was upset by the rejection – he knew that was impossible, but it still irked him.

"I need to do something," Mukuro mumbled. "Get off."

Fran pouted as he did what he was told, crossing his arms against his chest. He turned back to the TV, but it was clear he was upset by the older male's reactions.

_Trust me, little one, _Mukuro thought to himself as he walked into his own bedroom, locking the door behind him, _you wouldn't want to know… _

Mukuro knew he shouldn't have such thoughts about Fran, but he couldn't help it; he hadn't even considered the possibility he was attracted to the boy until said child had rubbed against his crotch. It wasn't that he didn't want those thoughts – okay, maybe he did, judging by his body's reaction – but he was still a growing teenager and he had hormones just like everyone else.

It was just a shame he had to be aroused by a _seven _year old.

_If there's a hell, I'm definitely going there, _Mukuro thought to himself as he hesitantly unzipped his pants, not in the mood for a cold shower.

Trying his hardest to think of anyone _but _Fran, Mukuro laid back on his bed as he wrapped his calloused hand around himself, pumping slowly.

As ashamed for letting a kid arouse him as he was, Mukuro couldn't deny the way he felt as if he were about to orgasm then and there when Fran's face slipped into his mind, picturing the boy doing naughty things Fran wouldn't have any clue existed.

_Yeah – I'm damned to the part of hell reserved for the worst kind of people… _Mukuro thought glumly as he felt his climax hitting him after being unable to push thoughts of himself fucking the boy as hard as he could from his mind. _Let's just hope it's the hormones talking…_

Outside of Mukuro's bedroom, Fran was now curled up on the couch, his attention back on the TV. He wondered why his carer was making such loud noises in his bedroom but when he tried to open the door and see what was wrong, it was locked.

_Does Master not want me in there? _Fran wondered. _It sounds painful. Maybe he hurt himself at school today? _

Making a mental note to ask Chrome later today if Mukuro was hurt, Fran let his eyes slip closed as he felt sleep take him over.


	7. Chapter 7

**There are a few warnings for this chapter. There's implied rape as well as implied consensual sex with minors. If any of this offends you, you can skip the ending and PM me so I can summarise it for you.**

Though Fran had tried to question Chrome about what Mukuro had been doing in his room yesterday, the shy girl merely blushed and said in a gentle voice that he would understand when he was older. Though he hadn't liked that answer, he didn't push, knowing Chrome was fragile – just like him, Mukuro often said.

The teal-haired boy was sitting in class again that morning, staring absentmindedly out of the window, watching the trees sway slightly with the breeze. He wondered what Chrome had meant when she said he'd understand in future – was it something bad? Why wouldn't he understand now? What different would it make between now and then?

_Maybe I should ask Mukuro when we get home. _Fran lifted a hand to his mouth as he yawned, blinking sleep from his eyes. Ignoring the teacher that rambled on at the front of the room, the boy continued to stare out of the window, his thoughts heading in a different direction. _I wonder if Bel-senpai will be back today? I don't know why no one will let me play with him; I like Bel-senpai. _

"Fran?"

The boy snapped back to reality at the mention of his name. He looked towards the front of the class, seeing the way the teacher glared in annoyance at him.

"It would be nice if you'd listen to what I'm saying," the black-haired man scolded.

Fran dropped his eyes to his desk as he tensed instinctively. He nodded, mumbling a shaky apology. "I-I'm s-s-sorry…"

The man rolled his eyes before continuing on with his talk, but Fran didn't want to listen; he was too shaken up, memories of his past playing through his mind. _I-I want… I want to go… Go home… Scared…_

Raising a tiny arm, Fran almost begged to leave the classroom with the excuse of needing the bathroom. He was relieved when he was excused, but he had no intention at all of going to the bathroom; he thought going to Mukuro's school and trying to find the teenager was a better option – too young to comprehend the dangers; all he knew was that he hated being stuck in a room with other kids and a teacher who clearly didn't like him, and he'd much rather be by Mukuro's side.

Moving to the hook he had left his bag hanging on, Fran lifted slung his bag over his shoulder before creeping away from his classroom, no longer caring if he got into trouble – he _hated _it here, and he didn't quite understand why Mukuro and Chrome had brought him into this stupid place.

_I wonder if I can stay with Mukuro at his school? _Fran smiled at the thought, wanting to be with the teenager. _I hope so. He's much more fun to be with. _

Fran was quick to leave the school grounds, running towards where he vaguely remembered him following Mukuro all that time ago.

_I think I know where I'm going… _Fran frowned. _…I… think so… Maybe… I should go to Bel-senpai's school first… He might know where to go… Or Tsuna…_

Nodding to himself, Fran retraced the path he had taken with the blond back to Namimori Middle, unaware of the situation he was about to put himself in.

_**~~Namimori Middle~~**_

"What are you doing here, Froggy?"

Fran looked up from staring at his feet, having almost walked straight into the blond he had sought; it seemed Bel was going home early as he had his bag slung over his shoulder and class was still scheduled.

"I was looking for you," the boy replied honestly, his teal eyes staring up at Bel in curiosity.

_Looking for me? _ Bel licked his lips before he knelt down, face-level with the younger. "What for?"

"I'm looking for Mukuro's school," Fran explained, "but I can't remember where to go. Can you help me find it?"

_This is perfect~ This is the opportunity I've been waiting for~ _"Of course, Froggy, but is it okay if we stop by my house, first? It's on the way and I won't take long."

"Okay." Fran lifted his arms into the air, hoping the blond would pick him up. He giggled when his wishes were granted, snuggling in close to the older male. "Where do you live, Bel-senpai?"

"In a mansion." Bel sniffed the mint scent that wafted from teal hair, feeling his groin twitch again; he found this kid so… so _irresistible. _

"Wow." Fran smiled, having never thought he'd meet someone who lived in such a big house – having lived in such a small home with his grandmother and then a hotel room with Mukuro, he didn't think he'd even so much as _see _a big house. "Can you show me around, Bel-senpai?"

"Sure. Ushishishi…" Extending his tongue out just enough to graze the outer shell of the boy's ear, Bel allowed his thoughts to run wild – the taste was far too intoxicating for him to handle.

_Bel-senpai's so warm… _Fran giggled to himself, his childish innocence only driving Bel into further insanity.

The blond didn't know how much longer he'd be able to control himself; he was glad he didn't live very far away – it wouldn't do to assault the boy here and now where anyone could see, after all.

_**~~Afternoon~~**_

By the time Chrome and Mukuro arrived at Fran's school, they were both quick to notice that Fran wasn't waiting for them in his usual spot, and there was no sign of him anywhere else by the school.

"Where is he…?" Chrome whispered, not sure what to think – was the boy still in the building or something…?

"I'll go and ask his teacher," Mukuro replied. "Wait out here in case he comes back."

Chrome nodded, leaning against the pillar Fran always waited on top of, her one visible eye scanning the area nervously for the familiar head of teal hair.

The girl didn't know how long she had waited before Mukuro came back out with a worried look on his usually-calm face. When he spoke in a quiet, emotionless tone, Chrome felt her heart race.

"Fran went missing this morning…" Mukuro said nothing else, and Chrome didn't know how to reply.

In mutual understanding, the two hurried away from the school in silence, knowing they needed to do _something _to find the boy – it was just a matter of _what_ to do.

_**~~Fran~~**_

What had, at first, started out as a fun game Bel had asked to play with him quickly turned into one Fran felt uncomfortable with – and the further the 'game' progressed, the more scared he became.

Fran had enjoyed the touches Bel gave him at first but, when the touches turned into licks and licks turned into bites, the blood that the blond was drawing from him told him that this was no longer a game – and when he was forced out of his clothes and an agony he had never experienced before overwhelmed his frail body, he wished he had never left the school.

Now, as Fran lay here in Bel's bed, curled up in blankets stained in his own blood and other bodily fluids, unable to move, or even cry any longer, he knew he should have listened to Mukuro.

_Mukuro… _Fran whimpered as he heard voices talking from outside the door, _…Mukuro, I'm scared… I'm sorry I didn't listen to you… I'm so scared… _

The door opened without warning, a dark-haired man with scars all over his face looking straight at the boy. Bel stood behind him, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Onyx eyes scrutinised Fran before the man licked his lips, turning to face Bel. He extended a hand, patting blond hair as if he were praising a puppy.

"Was it nice and hard, Bel? Break him in, just like we broke you in."

Bel nodded happily, extending a hand to grab at the man's crotch. The raven understood what the teenager wanted and unzipped his pants, revealing a hardened shaft that Bel promptly dropped to his knees and swallowed whole, horrifying the boy who couldn't look away.

_Mukuro… _Fran suddenly found the strength to cry again, not able to understand what was happening – all he knew was that he was _scared. _


	8. Chapter 8

Fran, who hadn't been able to bring himself to fall asleep, trembled as he lay crushed against the blond who had brought him here – Bel's arms were wrapped tightly around him as he slept, small mumbles of the boy's name falling from his lips every now and then.

The bedroom was dark, the only light that of the moon's as it shone through the window, illuminating a bunch of drawings sitting on the desk beneath it. Bel had seen earlier that the drawings were various, some of naked people doing things that the blond had made him do, others of dead animals and people – and these ones were drenched in blood, whether it was Bel's or someone else's – and lastly, there were drawings of oddly-shaped knives, ones Fran had never seen before.

There was blood splashed around on the walls and floor, some of it coated in the same white sticky stuff that had come out of Bel's penis after hurting him.

Fran hated this room and everything about it.

There was light shining in from under the door and loud voices could still be heard from somewhere downstairs, and Fran feared this – what if someone came in and did bad things to him? He had seen them doing bad things with Bel, but he had looked as if he enjoyed it – _Fran _didn't enjoy it; he only wanted to go back to Mukuro.

Fran whimpered in pain as Bel jostled his injured backside in his sleep. The small noise had disturbed the teenager's rest, a possessive growl leaving his mouth as his arms tightened around the boy in his arms.

The boy was too busy trying to hold in tears of both pain and fear, he didn't even notice the door opening until a gentle voice spoke from the doorway.

"Are you okay, sweetie?"

Fran froze for a few seconds before he turned to look at who had spoken. It was a strange-looking man, one with a red spiky Mohawk and a part of green hair. He wore dark glasses and a ring of fur coated his jacket.

"G-go away…!" Fran summoned the strength to try and protect himself, but his whimper only served to provoke the man to approach him.

"Hush, dear…" the man reached out to touch Fran's cheek, but the boy pulled away in fear. "My name is Lussuria. Would you like for me to try and help with the pain?"

Fran shook his head, expecting nothing but more pain from this man – the boy had seen him watch as one of the other men 'had sex', as Bel had called it, with the blond, his penis as hard as Bel's had been.

"I won't hurt you." Long, nimble fingers reached out, working to untangle Bel's skinny arms from his victim's body.

Bel awoke with a start, pulling Fran tighter to him as he whimpered, his voice sounding weak, almost _scared. _

"N-no…" Bel avoided eye contact with Lussuria as he looked at Fran, holding the boy close to him. "D-don't take him from me…"

"It's okay, Bel. It's okay. Shh…" Lussuria let go of Fran and placed his hands instead on the blond's shoulders, laying Bel back down on the bed. His hand ghosted down to the teenager's chest, slipping beneath the thin striped nightshirt to stroke Bel's nipples. "Relax, Bel. It's okay. I'm just going to clean him up. Go back to sleep."

Bel moaned softly as gentle fingers caressed his now-hard nubs, closing his eyes. He hesitantly released his hold on Fran, falling back into a light sleep – now that he finally had the object of his desires, he was finding it hard to fall asleep without Fran in his arms.

Fran didn't speak as he was lifted from the bed and carried into the joint bathroom, too scared – he was sure he hadn't met everyone in the house but, when he had been downstairs with Bel for dinner, he had seen how orientated the people who lived here seemed to be with doing bad things to Bel – he had been laid down on a couch and watched as the two men he had met – Xanxus and Squalo – had sex with the blond at the same time.

"Don't let Bel scare you, dear," Lussuria said as he closed the door quietly behind them before flicking the light on, probably so the sudden brightness didn't disturb the teenager. "I think he really likes you."

Fran looked at the ground as he fought back tears – don't be _scared _by him…? L-look at what Bel had _done _to him…! How was he _not _supposed to be scared of him…? "…I-I want Mukuro…"

"Is he your brother?" Lussuria closed the toilet seat lid before gently placing Fran onto it, leaving him briefly to find bandages in the medicine cabinet – with the amount of times Bel would be found cutting his wrists, there should be an abundance of bandages in here.

Fran shook his head, not knowing why he was talking to the man. "He… He took me to live with him…"

"Ah, I see now." Lussuria smiled sadly as he grabbed a roll of bandages and ointment before returning back to Fran. He placed his hands carefully on the boy's frail hips, speaking in his most gentle voice, "May I…?"

Fran shook his head, trying to pull his hips from Lussuria's grasp – he was almost certain the older male was going to try and hurt him.

"Sweetie, I won't hurt you," Lussuria promised. "I don't need children to satisfy my urges."

Fran wasn't too sure what Lussuria meant by urges, but he was sure it had something to do with what Bel had done to him. "…I…"

"If you leave your wounds untreated, you'll get sick. Come on, hun."

Fran wanted to continue saying no, but he didn't like the idea of getting sick – he was sure it would only make things worse in the long run.

_Should I trust him…? I… I don't want to… But I don't want things to be worse… I don't… want to be… hurt…_

Lussuria, who seemed to realise the boy wasn't going to accept his help, didn't push Fran – the boy was probably scared enough as it was.

Picking Fran back up, Lussuria took him back into the bedroom, laying him down on the bed. He watched as Bel's eyes cracked open as his mattress shifted before pulling Fran back into his arms, smiling.

"Goodnight, boys," Lussuria said gently, reaching out to caress Bel's face tenderly. "See you both in the morning."

Bel hummed in reply, already falling back into a deep sleep. Fran, as he had before, merely cried silently, too scared to sleep.

_Mukuro…_

The teal-haired boy could only hope that Mukuro would find him soon – he didn't like it here at all.


	9. Chapter 9

What felt like years had really been days since Bel had kidnapped Fran, and things had only gotten worse for the boy; it seemed as if all Bel did to him was force him down into the bed and do things to him he didn't understand for almost all day.

To the boy's growing distress, it seemed that most of the other males who lived with Bel seemed to either enjoy watching them, or wanted one of the boys for themselves. Whenever it was the blond who was chosen to be one of their partners, Fran could only feel relieved that he would get however long to lock himself away in his mind until it came time to be used once again.

Lussuria seemed to be the only one who never used Fran, instead trying to help clean the blood and other bodily fluids away and healing the wounds. He had grown to be the only one the teal-haired boy could trust, feeling safe in his arms as his injuries were treated.

That night, while everyone else was downstairs, Bel had just pulled himself out of the boy, laughing as he did so. He slumped down over Fran, grabbing the oddly-shaped knife from the bedside table before he danced it over the younger's skin.

The teenager pushed down, drawing blood and screams from his victim, but it only excited Bel further; leaning down to lick up the blood he had drawn, he felt himself hardening once more.

Fran, however, had had enough of being scared and hurt –as Bel pulled the knife back to his own body so he could admire his handy work, the boy kicked out, managing to catch his assaulter off guard.

Bel whimpered as he felt the knife penetrate his stomach, but before he could do anything about it, the boy kicked him again, sending the knife in deeper.

The teenager's eyes widened in pain and horror as Fran scampered off the bed, sending one look back at the blond who had put him through so much pain.

Fran felt horrible for what he had done, but he couldn't stand what was happening to him any longer. He felt tears well up in his eyes as blond bangs fell to the side, revealing blood-red eyes that looked as if they had just been betrayed.

Fran ran, the sadness in Bel's eyes making him want to go back and hug his attacker, but he knew better – he wanted _Mukuro, _and if he stayed here, he would most certainly never see him again.

As Fran ran from the room, Bel felt tears slide down his cheeks. He removed one hand from his wounded stomach, reaching out shakily as he whimpered for Fran.

"F-froggy…" Bel had never felt so betrayed before – he had been _sure _Fran loved him back, but perhaps the younger had merely used him, cared nothing for him; only for the things he could _give _Fran. "…Froggy… C-come back… Don't… Don't leave me…"

_**~~Mukuro's hotel room~~**_

It was early in the morning when a loud banging at the front door of the hotel room woke the sleeping occupants. Chrome and Mukuro had left their bedrooms to investigate while Ken and Chikusa glanced over the back of the couches they had been sleeping on.

Mukuro was careful as he opened the door, ready to defend himself if someone dared attack him – however, the tiny arms that wrapped around his waist and the frail body that pressed against his were all too familiar.

"F-fran…" Mukuro knelt down, taking the crying boy into his arms. He ran a hand through teal hair, trying to soothe the distressed kid, not knowing what he was supposed to think – the boy goes missing for days and then suddenly shows back up in the middle of the night, crying, naked and covered in blood. "Fran… Who did this to you…?"

"B-bel-senpai…" Fran cried harder as he tried to explain everything that had happened to him to the four in the room. "H-he… I-I'm sorry, Mukuro… I-I should have listened… I should have _listened…!_"

"It's okay, Fran," Chrome whispered as she moved to join the two. "It's not your fault. You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. We understand."

Fran nodded, wrapping his arms around Mukuro's neck. He pressed closer to the older male as he was lifted from the ground, drowning in the comfort the older male always radiated.

"M-mukuro…" Fran's crying didn't cease, even when his carer begun rocking him.

"Let's go have a bath, little one…" Mukuro stroked teal strands from the boy's eyes, hoping he was doing the right thing – he knew he had made a mistake in taking Fran in; he wasn't cut out for this kind of thing and should just have left the boy where he had been.

Fran just nodded, clinging to the older male with the little strength he had left.

_**~~XX~~**_

"How is he…?" Chrome asked, watching as Mukuro tucked the now-sleeping boy into bed.

Mukuro shook his head, a distant look in his eyes. "…He… isn't good… He told me what happened, and… Chrome, I need to take him to the police tomorrow, but I'm worried he won't talk to them…"

"He needs a doctor more than anything, Mukuro-sama…" the girl whispered.

"I know that – I… I just don't think I can be there for him like he needs me to be…"

"You can only do your best, Mukuro-sama." Chrome offered a shy smile before she excused herself. "I'm going to go back to bed. You should do the same."

"Goodnight, Chrome." Mukuro pulled the blankets back so that he could crawl in beside Fran. It hurt him inside when the other pulled away from his hug, a small whimper escaping the boy's lips, but he couldn't blame him after what had happened.

_At least I've cleaned his wounds and bandaged them up… _With that thought in mind, Mukuro drifted off into an uneasy sleep, his nightmares all about Fran's torture, being helpless to look after him, to save him.


	10. Chapter 10

**There will be one more chapter after this one as I don't want to conclude it like this when there are still so many unanswered questions left. **

Mukuro had never thought he'd miss Fran's childish innocence, no matter how annoying it was at times – but here he was, trying to help piece the boy back together after having suffered needlessly at the hands of a deranged blond.

It didn't matter to him that Bel wasn't fully to blame, having been taken from his family at just eight-years-old and traumatised greatly by the 'training' he had endured – Mukuro would _never _forgive him for dragging Fran down into what had messed Bel's mind up in the first place.

Fran had become lifeless, sitting on the couch day after day, curled up in a ball as he stared blankly at nothing in particular. He rarely spoke and, when he did, it was only to whimper that he was scared.

Mukuro knew he loved Fran – more than he should for so many reasons – and he would do _anything _to bring back the younger's happiness.

As several years had passed by and Fran had turned sixteen, Mukuro knew there had to be _something _he could do to heal the boy. He had an idea in his head of what may help, but at the same time, he was afraid of damaging Fran further.

But he could only try, right?

Calling out to the boy curled up on the couch, the blue-haired male worried when Fran took no notice of him, his teal eyes still staring ahead.

"Fran?" Mukuro stood up and approached the boy, kneeling in front of him. "Fran, can you hear me?"

Teal eyes slowly focused on Mukuro, unclear and hazy. His voice was broken and hoarse as he spoke. "…Mu…ku…ro…?"

Mukuro smiled weakly as he brushed teal hair from the boy's face. "Yes… That's me. How do you feel?"

"…Scared…" Fran's lip quivered as his eyes filled with tears.

"Would you like for me to show you that there's nothing to be afraid of, little one?" Rokudo could only hope that Fran would accept his help.

The boy nodded as his body started shaking, just wanting the pain to be over – he _hated _feeling so scared, so _weak _all the time; he was desperate to feel the way he once did, happy and safe.

Mukuro reached out to pick Fran up, carrying him into his bedroom. They had long since moved out of the hotel room and into a small apartment, and they had the pleasure of being the only ones home at this hour.

Fran didn't speak as he was laid out on the large bed; he just looked to the side, unable to make eye contact with his carer. Mukuro didn't take offence to this – he merely leant down and kissed Fran's cheek.

"Tell me to stop if I do anything you don't like, okay?" the older male whispered as he ran a hand down Fran's clothed chest.

Fran shivered at the contact but he didn't resist; he simply sighed, almost as if he were used to what he was expecting. That thought alone made Mukuro feel as if he were no better than Bel, no better than the men who had taken the blond and raped him daily until he was shaped into their desirable toy.

"Is this okay…?" Mukuro bit his lip, stilling his hand. Fran just nodded, his face blank as he looked down at the hand resting on his green turtleneck.

The older male was careful as his hand trailed down to Fran's hip, searching for the slightest sign of discomfort or pain. Fran, again, barely reacted.

"Can I take your shirt off, little one?" Mukuro asked, his hands resting on the hem of the boy's shirt. Fran just nodded distantly once more.

Mukuro was slow as he pushed the boy's shirt up so that he could see soft nubs. Looking back at Fran, he gulped as he noticed the other staring intently at him with a knowing glare.

"That's what…" Fran trailed off before he continued to whisper, "…That's what Bel-senpai started with…"

"Touching your chest?" the blue-haired male asked.

Fran nodded. "…He… He touched…" raising a hand, he rested it on one of his nipples, "…here… I thought we… were just playing a game…"

"It's never just a game, little one," Mukuro soothed. "What he did to you was terrible, and you didn't deserve it – but it was _never_ your fault. I promise you that."

"Are you going… to do the same to me…?"

Mukuro shook his head. "What I want… is to show you that it doesn't have to be a scary thing, little one. That you don't have to live your life being fearful of… of what Bel did to you."

Fran reached out, entwining his fingers with the older male's. There was the familiar display of trust in teal orbs as Fran lifted his free hand to stroke Mukuro's cheek.

"I won't…" Fran choked slightly before he continued, his eyes welling up with tears, "…be scared if… If it's you, Mukuro… I know you wouldn't hurt me…"

Mukuro felt warm at these words, the love he had held for this boy only growing stronger over the years until he was sure he had fallen head-over-heels in love with the traumatised male. He had never acted on his feelings before, knowing how hurt the other was, but now he wished he had done it sooner – this was the most life Fran had shown in all those years combined.

Leaning down, the older man pressed their lips together softly. He could feel Fran's own moving against his, but the younger didn't protest.

Shyly, the smaller male wrapped his hand in blue hair, as if anchoring himself to the fact that it was Mukuro here and not Bel.

When they broke apart for air, Fran's cheeks were flushed, his eyes half lidded. His lips kept parting silently, but he didn't speak.

Mukuro smiled down at the boy, reaching out to brush teal strands from Fran's face. He cupped a warm cheek in his hand before leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Is it okay if I…" Mukuro trailed off, not quite sure how to put it in terms to the damaged boy.

Fran, who seemed to understand what was being asked of him, nodded. "I told you… I know you won't hurt me…"

Mukuro nodded. He rested his hand on a skinny stomach before slowly rubbing circles along it. He slid his hand upwards until it was resting between slowly-hardening nubs, almost too nervous to touch them.

Gathering up his courage, Mukuro carefully rubbed his palm over the boy's left nipple, drawing a small squeak from the younger. Glancing down, he could see a small bulge pushing against Fran's crotch, and he couldn't help but wonder if it were the boy's body responding to sexual stimulation naturally or if Fran was truly enjoying this.

"How does it feel?" Mukuro asked carefully.

Fran blinked a few times before he replied, "…D-different… I… I felt… uncomfortable with Bel… B-but you're… making me feel… good…"

"I'm glad, Fran." Mukuro continued to rub the boy's nipples, too nervous to use his mouth – he had seen the bite marks Bel had inflicted all over the younger's body, and he was afraid of triggering the boy who was doing so well.

Sliding one hand down to wait at Fran's hip, heterochromatic eyes looked into teal ones, searching for permission.

"It's okay…" Fran whispered, glancing away. "Just… J-just don't… I don't want… you to… to… _put _it in…"

"I won't, little one," Mukuro soothed. "I promise."

Fran closed his eyes as he felt large hands sliding his pants and boxers down. He shivered, not sure if it were from the cold, nerves or memories, but he didn't stop Mukuro.

The boy whimpered and cried out softly, bucking his hips as he felt a warm hand wrap around him. He glanced up at Mukuro, watching with wary eyes as the older male stroked his hard shaft gently. There were no cruel squeezes or rough grips like with Bel – it was pure gentleness, _caring _for his wellbeing and happiness.

Fran could feel the safety he had thought he'd never experience again, the knowledge that not only was he loved, but he was being cared for – things he had long since forgotten.

"Mukuro…" Fran whispered, grabbing the other's attention. The addressed male stilled his hand, listening to what Fran had to say. "…I… I love you, Mukuro…"

"I love you, too, Fran." Mukuro leant down, pressing his lips gently against Fran's. He didn't mind that the other didn't give him entrance – the understanding that it would take the younger a long time to recover fully was acknowledged, and Mukuro would _never _force him into something he wasn't ready for.

In Mukuro's hand, Fran's engorged member pulsed a few times before spilling over the calloused skin, wetting the material beneath them .

Fran moaned softly as he closed his eyes, turning his head to the side.

"Was that okay?" Mukuro asked, wiping his hand on the already-stained sheets; he could always change them later.

Fran nodded before he rolled onto his side, crawling across the bed so that he could rest his head in Mukuro's lap. "Tired…"

"Go to sleep, little one." Mukuro smiled as he caressed teal strands, content to be here for the boy like this; he could see already how much better Fran was – the boy was speaking, seeking out comfort, and for the first time in _years, _he didn't look as if he were scared, about to cry for no apparent reason. "I'll still be here when you wake up."

Fran nodded, pulling his knees to his chest so that he could wrap his arms around them. His breathing evened out after a few minutes, and Mukuro knew he was asleep.

_There's only one more thing to do now, _Mukuro knew. _I have to do whatever I can to get him to start living once more. _


	11. Chapter 11

One year had passed since Fran slowly started getting better. Though he still wasn't one-hundred per-cent, the important thing was that he was lively once more.

Mukuro had taken him into town for lunch, and after they had stopped by a convenience store for chocolate, they ran into three familiar faces.

"Tsunayoshi." Mukuro nodded politely at the younger male, aware of his now-seventeen-year-old charge hiding behind him. Reaching out to put his hand on top of a teal head, he said softly, "Do you remember Tsunayoshi, little one?"

Fran nodded, looking at the ground. He very much remembered Tsuna and his friends as the ones who had looked after him a few times – the ones who had told Mukuro what Bel was like.

They were the ones who had tried to look out for his safety, and Fran would never forget that.

"We were just on our way to somewhere special," Mukuro explained, smiling down at Fran as he spoke; he organised earlier to take Fran out for a treat to a magic show that was performing tonight.

Tsuna smiled while Yamamoto grinned and threw his arm around Fran's shoulder cheerfully. Gokudera scolded the taller male for being so careless when the teal-haired boy whimpered and pulled away, holding his guardian's hand tightly.

"He's still a bit nervous of people." Mukuro squeezed the boy's hand soothingly as he spoke to the younger males. "He's much better now, though."

"We can't blame him," Tsuna replied softly. "What Bel did…"

"Is he still living with you?" the blue-haired male asked.

The brunet shook his head. "My mum fostered him until his twin contacted us. He said that though their parents had died, he wanted to come and get Bel so that he wasn't alone. I think Bel's much happier being back with his family – it was only too apparent what the trauma had done to him when he was living with us…"

"I'm afraid I wish not to know," Mukuro said, turning to look down at Fran. "I cannot forgive him for the things he has done to my little one."

Fran, who was listening carefully to their conversation, spoke up. "I-I forgive Bel…" Four sets of eyes turned to the young boy, all full of surprise. "I-I mean… I know… that he was in pain, too… I don't think he… He knew anything else…"

"He didn't," Tsuna agreed, "but I'm glad you've forgiven him, Fran – that's a huge step to take."

"My little one is strong-willed," Mukuro proudly announced. "He's doing very well, and I believe he will continue to recover."

"That's so good." Yamamoto smiled as he reached out to pet Fran on the shoulder in a gentle manner, understanding that such personal contact was still too much for Fran.

"We should get going," Mukuro said, checking the time on his watch. "I said I'd take Fran to see a magic show tonight. He's very much looking forward to it, and I would like to get us ready early."

"Oh, that sounds fun." Tsuna and his friends smiled at the nervous boy, glad to hear his recovery was going better than it had just a few years ago. "I hope you have fun, Fran."

Fran nodded, kicking at the leafs beneath his shoe.

"He'll have lots of fun." Mukuro smiled fondly down at Fran, tugging him close. When Fran was standing in front of him, he wrapped his arm across the boy's chest, holding him against his body. "He loves magic. Don't you, Fran?"

"Y-yes…"

"Let's get going, little one. We'll get seats up the front so you can see better." Mukuro nodded at the younger males, holding Fran as they started walking.

Tsuna and his friends watched as the two left, seeing just how close Mukuro and Fran were together.

"He's looking much better than the last time we saw him, isn't he?" Yamamoto pointed out.

"Who?" Gokudera questioned. "Mukuro or Fran?"

"Both. Mukuro looks much happier and not as stressed now. And the last time we saw Fran, he was like a doll in Mukuro's arms when he had to go get a health check-up."

"That's true." Tsuna smiled. "Let's hope they both get better soon."

_**~~Later that night~~**_

"M-master, these seats are uncomfortable." Fran fidgeted in the plastic seat he was sitting in, his bony backside unable to handle it.

"Kufufu…" Mukuro patted his lap, inviting Fran to climb on. The boy did so, his legs spread out on the seat he had been sitting in as he curled up against his carer's chest, watching the show from the corner of his eye. "Is that better, little one?"

Fran nodded, his attention moving to the blue strands of hair that fell over the man's shoulder. He played with the older male's ponytail quietly, a smile on his face, as he waited for the show to start.

"Is that entertaining for you?" Mukuro smiled as the boy nodded. He leant down, placing a soft kiss on Fran's lips.

Fran's smile widened as he tilted his head so he could kiss Mukuro back, opening his mouth to allow the other entrance. Their kiss was short, yet full of passion and love, broken by the voice floating through the arena as the show started.

"Can we…" Fran blushed as he looked at his lap, his hands fumbling with each other. "…Can we… go all the way when we get home…?"

Mukuro chuckled as he nodded, relieved that Fran was recovering in leaps and bounds; tonight, as long as Fran didn't change his mind – and if he did, Mukuro would be patient and understanding with him – they would have their first time together.

As Fran's attention moved to the stage, captivated already, Mukuro held him close, the love for the boy showing in how tenderly he held the younger.

"I love you, little one." Mukuro kissed the top of Fran's head, smiling to himself as Fran remained unaware of his surroundings, too excited to hear what his guardian had told him.

Mukuro didn't mind; he was just glad that Fran was enjoying himself. __


End file.
